In mid-March, Buckeye Hills staff and board members traveled to Washington, DC, for The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) conference held Sunday, March 13 to Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Buckeye Hills Regional Council is a member organization of both NADO and DDAA.
The conference featured four days of panels, sessions and meetings focused on regional development, the federal landscape, and program successes. Attendees gained insights on policy and advocacy for the priorities of our regional stakeholders. They also had the opportunity to network with federal officials and peers from across the country.
Appalachian Ohio was well-represented at this year’s conference, as BHRC Executive Director Misty Crosby and OMEGA Executive Director Jeannette Wierzbicki both officiated in their roles as President of NADO and DDAA.
At the opening dinner banquet, John Carey, Director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia, received the DDAA 2022 John D. Whisman Vision Award in recognition of his dedication to the region and collaborative work to bring opportunities and resources to local leaders.
On Monday, several BHRC members and partners participated in the discussion on advocacy, Raising Your Voice: The Importance of Connecting and Aligning for Impact. During this session, panelists discussed how they are conducting advocacy and promoting messaging around local priorities, highlighting how local community leaders in Appalachian Ohio are making connections, overcoming barriers, and partnering on local and regional importance issues.
Panelists included John Hemmings, director of Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission; Amista Lipot, Ohio University Director of External Relations and Strategic Partnerships for the Voinovich School of Leadership & Public Service and the Executive Director for the Mayors’ Partnership for Progress; Athens Mayor Steve Paterson; Washington County Commissioner Kevin Ritter; Washington County Job and Family Services Director Flite Freimann; and Village of Somerset Mayor Tom Johnson.
That afternoon, BHRC Executive Director Misty Crosby moderated the Plenary Luncheon on the 2022 Political Landscape with guest Nathan Gonzales, Editor and Publisher of Inside Elections and an Elections Analyst for Roll Call.
On Wednesday, BHRC Broadband Coordinator Ryan Collins moderated a panel titled Charting a Broadband Roadmap. Guests included Village of Somerset Mayor Tom Johnson, Ohio Transparent Telecom Chairwoman Megan Kvamme and Chief Growth Officer Matt Armstead, and attorney Megan Bolton of IceMiller.
In addition to the conference, BHRC met with staff members of the Ohio Congressional delegation to thank them for their continued support and collaboration and share priorities from the region during an organized Lunch and Learn presentation on the Return on Investment of Appalachian Ohio’s Local Development Districts (LDD).
Following the luncheon, staff visited Senator Rob Portman’s office to present the DDAA Congressional Leadership Award in recognition of his support for Appalachia. The collaboration between leadership, federal agency representatives, and stakeholders is essential to continued growth and economic development projects that positively impact the region.
The NADO/DDAA Conference is an annual event to bring together stakeholders from throughout Appalachian states and the nation to talk about the future of regional development and build relationships that encourage successful partnerships and projects.